Stop the Navy from using more sonar on marine mammals in Pacific Northwest

WE THE PEOPLE OF the Pacific Northwest Coast of the United States request that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) deny the request from the U.S. Navy for a permit to expand its training, increase the use of high level sonar technology, more explosions and more chemical releases along the Pacific northwest coast in the Gray Whales' migration path between the Arctic Circle and Baja Sur California. The Gray Whales would have to pass through a deadly training area ten times in five years. The Navy has asked in its permit application to be allowed to "take" (harass, injure, modify behavior or kill) millions of marine mammals.

Sonar technology is known to disrupt whales' and other marine mammals' feeding, hearing and well being. When whales cannot hear, they cannot locate their food sources and they starve. A number of whale stranding have happened near Navy sonar exercises.

We ask NOAA to request the Navy to move it's training and sonar testing areas away from the migratory path of the Gray Whales and habitats of the other marine mammals that are essential to the tourist industries of Western U.S. coastal states, counties and cities.